Understanding Gestalt Therapy: The Power of the Here and Now

Understanding Gestalt Therapy: The Power of the Here and Now

As a therapist, one of the most meaningful parts of my work is helping clients come home to themselves—fully, presently, and compassionately. One approach that supports this process in a deeply experiential way is Gestalt Therapy. While it may not be as widely known as CBT or DBT, Gestalt therapy offers a powerful framework for self-awareness, emotional healing, and authentic connection.

What Is Gestalt Therapy?

Gestalt therapy is a humanistic, experiential form of psychotherapy developed in the 1940s and 1950s by Fritz Perls, Laura Perls, and Paul Goodman. At its core, Gestalt therapy emphasizes the present moment, personal responsibility, and the integration of all aspects of the self—thoughts, feelings, sensations, and behaviors.

Rather than analyzing problems from a distance, Gestalt therapy invites clients to experience their emotions and patterns as they emerge in the therapy room. This focus on the “here and now” helps individuals move beyond intellectual understanding to embodied awareness—often leading to insights and shifts that are both immediate and profound.

Key Principles of Gestalt Therapy

1. Awareness Is Curative: Gestalt therapists believe that increasing awareness—of your thoughts, emotions, body sensations, and relational patterns—naturally leads to growth and change. Therapy becomes a space for clients to slow down and notice what is happening inside them in real time.
2. The Present Moment Matters: While the past is acknowledged, Gestalt therapy focuses on how past experiences are impacting you right now. For example, a client exploring childhood neglect might be guided to notice how that pain shows up in their current relationships, posture, or tone of voice.
3. The Whole Person: The word “Gestalt” comes from a German term meaning “whole” or “form.” The therapy reflects this by integrating body, mind, and emotion. Clients are encouraged to attend to bodily sensations, gestures, and tone—recognizing that much of our experience is nonverbal and often unconscious.
4. Dialogue and Experimentation: Rather than interpreting or directing, the therapist engages in an authentic, collaborative dialogue. Gestalt therapy often includes experiential techniques, such as role-play, empty chair work, or guided awareness exercises. These help bring unspoken feelings or unresolved conflicts into conscious awareness.

In our next blog post, we will examine what a session of Gestalt therapy often looks like, as well as who can benefit from this type of therapy.

Liza Linder, MSW, LCSW, is a therapist with 30 years of experience serving the LGBTQ+ and PLWHIV communities. Liza is in person only, in our Philadelphia offices. For more information about Liza, please click on the therapist’s bios.